On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at the MCB headquarters in Port-Louis, a press conference was held to mark the 10th anniversary of the Small Step Matters solidarity platform, in the presence of Céline Planel and David Commarmond, co-founders, Stéphane Lebon, representative of MCB, Aurélie Beesoon, representative of the APTIS Group, Nesha Ramen, representative of EY, and Yan de Maroussem, ambassador for the 10th anniversary.
Céline Planel, co-founder of the crowdfunding platform and director of Beyond Communications, revisited the origins of the initiative, which began in 2016:
“Small Step Matters is first and foremost a vision: to democratize online giving by combining the expertise of GWS Technologies and Beyond Communications, as well as a shared aspiration with David Commarmond: to contribute to the environmental and social development of the country, from Mauritius to Rodrigues. This commitment has become a true collective movement in service of important causes, which has even exceeded our projections. To date, 186 projects have been completed and funded, in part or in full, thanks to the Rs 37 million raised. This is a true testament to the exemplary generosity of the Mauritian people, since more than half of the donations received last year came from citizens, while the platform is also eligible for CSR contributions from the private sector.”
Céline Planel warmly thanked Small Step Matters’ initial partner, MCB, which believed in the merits of the project from its inception in 2016, as well as the two additional partners who have strengthened the various stages of the platform’s development: EY Group, since 2023, and APTIS Group, since January 2026.
A solidarity adventure made possible thanks to the tenacity and creativity of the project leaders of Small Step Matters: associations, citizens, athletes (Tina Staub, Pascal Ducray, Sasha Espitalier-Noel…) and service clubs, who trusted the platform to conduct their fundraising campaigns professionally.
For Stephane Lebon, Group Sustainability Manager-MCB,“Our commitment to Small Step Matters is a natural extension of our purpose, Success Beyond Numbers, which reflects our desire to contribute, alongside other committed stakeholders, to the economic, social, and environmental progress of our communities. Our ambition is to continue and strengthen this partnership by further mobilizing our network, our expertise, and our communities around meaningful projects. For example, we are reinforcing employee engagement through our Social Leave initiatives. An upcoming event is planned in Gris-Gris with Yan de Maroussem, ambassador for the celebrations marking Small Step Matters’ 10th anniversary. We also want to give a new dimension to our commitment, particularly through our Private Wealth Management segment, where we are exploring new opportunities for our clients who wish to do so to contribute to social impact initiatives.”
10 years: an opportunity to strengthen citizen and private sector engagement.
To mark its 10th anniversary, a national communications campaign, created pro bono by the Beyond Communications team, was unveiled on August 12th, along with a new graphic identity inspired by emerging artist Jonathan Leboeuf. Among the campaign’s objectives: to remind everyone that thanks to the Juice feature, making a one-off or recurring donation (monthly, for example) has never been so easy and quick, requiring only a few clicks. Simple and transparent, this approach leads to concrete results on the ground, with impacts measured by a team of professionals.
10 years in service of the planet:
Marie-Laure Ziss-Phokeer, manager of Small Step Matters:“Symbolically, as part of the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the solidarity platform, volunteer ambassador Yan de Maroussem (initiator of the Ti Balad project) presented fruit trees to Small Step Matters’ partner NGOs involved in sustainable development or in educational, inclusive garden projects or those aimed at the economic empowerment of the most vulnerable, with the hope that they will bear fruit, that is, bring hope to communities for the future.”
To Rev Nou Vision – Beau-Bassin (ANFEN Centre), represented by Mary-Joyce Philippe and Christabelle Panier;
Fondation Fam-Unie – La Cure, represented by Annick Corroy;
Future Hope – Ste Croix, represented by Marie-Noelle Stephanie Ramdeen;
Le Centre Joie de Vivre – Poste-de-Flacq, represented by Marylène Sakir;
We-Recycle, represented by Nishta Gayadin;
L’École de Cuisine Aline Leal d’ANFEN, Port Louis, represented by Stéphanie Ha Yeung.
In Rodrigues, four fruit trees will also be handed over to recall the strong links that unite Small Step Matters with Rodriguan associations, including: Care Co, The Gonzague Pierre Louis Special Needs Centre, Shoals Rodrigues and Le Centre Agricole Frère Remy.
